Tea Time

Linda Appel Lipsius was never much of a tea drinker. But she had “never had such a truly delicious tea” before trying Teatulia, her friend Dr. Kazi Anis Ahmed’s organic line from Bangladesh. The former VP of her family’s cleaning product company Orange Glo International, Lipsius offered to help Ahmed launch his brand in the United States. Before long she was named co-founder and CEO, and began incorporating Teatulia teas into her regular routine.

“Bangladesh plays a huge factor in the taste of Teatulia teas. The majority of teas enjoyed in America have historically come from India, Sri Lanka, Japan, and China,” she explains. “American taste buds expect a certain flavor. However, this new origin delivers a heretofore unknown flavor profile: a full-bodied tea with a sweet, smooth finish and no bitterness.” Teatulia is also a reflection of Bangladesh on a more poignant level: The tea garden from which it’s made, in the Tetulia district, is helping spawn a social revolution in one of the world’s poorest nations. Ahmed launched Teatulia to introduce organic farming practices to his homeland, and to help build economic security among villagers; all sales of the tea support the company’s educational, health, and cattle-lending community initiatives.

The single-garden teas, ranging from Bergamot-scented Earl of Bengal to the newly released peppermint, an uplifting choice to sip in refreshing iced form. Teas are shipped directly from Northern Bangladesh and feature individual bags wrapped in biodegradable eucalyptus. “We don’t do crazy blends with four different ingredients and flavors,” says Lipsius. “Getting to enjoy pure, unadulterated teas and herbal infusions is quite a treat.” teatulia.com

Drink Your Broccoli

For years we’ve been encouraged to cut into tree-like stalks of broccoli at the dinner table. The cruciferous vegetable has long been linked to boosting health, and in recent years, new research indicates why. Back in 1992, Dr. Paul Talalay of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine led a study that discovered the presence of SGS (sulforaphane glucosinolate), a naturally occurring antioxidant compound found in broccoli (with especially high concentrations in young sprouts) linked to a lower incidence of some types of cancer. SGS breaks down into sulforaphane, a disease-fighting phytochemical, when it’s chewed or chopped. Enter Brassica green and black teas, founded as an offshoot of ongoing research at the University. Made from full-leaf Chinese Sencha, the all-natural teas produced by Baltimore Coffee and Tea Company, contain 15 milligrams of SGS extract. “Brew one cup—drinking two a day is recommended—and it’s like eating a standard three ounce serving of broccoli,” points out Brassica CEO Tony Talalay, Paul’s son. “It’s even more concentrated in the extract.” With the publication of nearly 150 articles on SGS since his father’s initial research, Talalay confirms, “The science behind the discovery of SGS has grown stronger.” brassicatea.com